Redmi Note 14 series is scheduled to launch in India on December 9, nearly three months after its debut in China. The smartphone lineup making its way to India is speculated to comprise three models including a base, a Pro, and a Pro+ variant. Ahead of its anticipated unveiling, Xiaomi India has teased several specifications of the top-of-the-line Redmi Note 14 Pro+, hinting at features such as a curved AMOLED screen and a 50-megapixel camera — similar to the Chinese variant.
Redmi Note 14 Pro+ Specifications (Confirmed)
Xiaomi India has created a dedicated microsite detailing the various specifications of the Redmi Note 14 Pro+. The upcoming handset is confirmed to sport a curved AMOLED screen, protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2. It is teased to come in black and purple colours, with the latter sporting what looks like a vegan leather finish.
For optics, the Redmi Note 14 Pro+ will be equipped with a triple rear camera setup, headlined by a 50-megapixel telephoto camera with optical image stabilisation (OIS). It will also feature an IP68-rated build against dust and water ingress. The company also highlights that its upcoming smartphone will have over 20 artificial intelligence (AI) features although the details are yet to be revealed.
In terms of design and specifications revealed so far, the handset appears identical to its Chinese counterpart.
Redmi Note 14 Pro+ Specifications in China
The Redmi Note 14 Pro+ Chinese variant comes with a 6.67-inch OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. It is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chipset, paired with up to 16GB of RAM and up to 512GB onboard storage.
For optics, the smartphone features a triple rear camera unit, comprising a 50-megapixel Light Hunter 900 primary sensor, a 50-megapixel telephoto lens, and an 8-megapixel ultrawide camera. The handset boasts a 20-megapixel OmniVision OV20B sensor on the front for selfies. It packs a 6,200mAh battery with 90W fast charging support.
One of the most intense cosmic shockwaves has been observed in Stephan's Quintet, a group of galaxies located approximately 290 million light-years from Earth. The event was triggered by the galaxy NGC 7318b colliding with four neighbouring galaxies at an estimated velocity of two million mph (3.2 million kmph). The collision produced a shock front likened by researchers to the sonic boom of a jet fighter. These findings, which could illuminate the complex processes shaping galaxies, have been published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Stephan's Quintet and the Collision's Impact
Stephan's Quintet, named after 19th-century French astronomer Édouard Stephan, consists of five galaxies engaged in a series of gravitational interactions. The latest collision involved NGC 7318b slamming into the system, creating a turbulent debris field, as per a Science Live report.
Dr Marina Arnaudova, an astrophysicist at the University of Hertfordshire, told the publication that the aftermath as "a massive intergalactic field of plasma and gas debris re-energised by the collision." According to her, this activity has illuminated the plasma at radio frequencies and may have initiated star formation in the region.
Observations and Research Techniques
The event marked the first use of the WEAVE spectrograph, mounted on the William Herschel Telescope in La Palma, Spain. By analysing light from the system, researchers tracked debris patterns, ionised gas trails, and nascent stars stirred by the shockwave. These findings are anticipated to provide insights into the role of collisions in the formation and evolution of galaxies.
Implications for Understanding Galactic Evolution
The violent encounter within Stephan's Quintet offers a rare opportunity to observe galaxy collisions in real-time. Researchers have indicated that such interactions, which were frequent during the universe's early history, significantly shaped the galaxies observed today. While the ultimate outcome of this particular collision may not occur for billions of years, the data gathered is expected to enhance understanding of processes linked to the formation and merging of galaxies.
This research highlights the dynamic and often chaotic nature of the universe, providing astronomers with vital information on the interconnected evolution of stars, galaxies, and cosmic phenomena.
Honor 300 Ultra could be in the works, according to details shared by a tipster. The Chinese smartphone maker has already confirmed that it will launch the Honor 300 and 300 Pro — preorders for the two handsets are now live in China — but there has been no mention of an Ultra model. Two images of the purported Honor 300 Ultra have been leaked on Weibo, the Chinese microblogging website, giving us a look at its design and colour options.
Honor 300 Ultra Design (Leaked)
In a post on Weibo, tipster Digital Chat Station (translated from Chinese) has leaked the design of the purported Honor 300 Ultra. It's worth noting that there has been no previous mention of the handset, while the company has confirmed the arrival of the Honor 300 and Honor 300 Pro in China. It could be launched by the company as part of the series, or arrive at a later date.
Honor 300 Ultra design Photo Credit: Weibo/ Digital Chat Station
The leaked images of the Honor 300 Ultra suggest that it will bear a striking resemblance to the Honor 300 Pro, which also includes a triple rear camera setup, housed in a hexagonal camera island. The smartphone appears to sport a curved display, and its rear panel is shown in black and white colour options — the latter has a paint-like texture.
Honor 300 Series Specifications (Expected)
While not much is known about the specifications of the Honor 300 Ultra, details of the Honor 300 and Honor 300 Pro have previously leaked online. Digital Chat Station recently claimed that the Honor 300 series will be equipped with 1.5K OLED screens, while the Pro model is expected to be powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset.
The Honor 300 Pro is tipped to feature a 50-megapixel periscope camera, according to the tipster. Honor is also expected to equip the Honor 300 series with support for 100W wired charging, while the handsets could also arrive with wireless charging support.
At the time, the tipster said that it was unclear whether the Honor 300 lineup would be equipped with an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, but more details about the Honor 300 and Honor 300 Pro are expected to arrive in the coming days leading up to their debut in China.
Nubia V70 Design has been launched as the latest V-series handset from the ZTE subsidiary. The smartphone is equipped with a 6.7-inch LCD screen and comes with a Live Island 2.0 feature that resembles Apple's Dynamic Island feature. The Nubia V70 Design is equipped with 4GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and it packs a 5,000mAh battery that can be charged at 22.5W, according to the company. It runs on Android 14, with the company's MyOS 14 skin on top.
Nubia V70 Design Price, Availability
Nubia V70 Design price is set at PHP 5,299 (roughly Rs. 7,600) and the smartphone is available to pre-order in the Philippines, in Citrus Orange, Jade Green, Rose Pink, and Stone Gray colour options. It will go on sale in the country via Lazada, Shopee and other retail channels on November 28.
Nubia V70 Design Specifications, Features
The dual-SIM (Nano+Nano) Nubia V70 Design runs on Android 14-based MyOS 14. It sports a 6.7-inch IPS LCD screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. The phone is equipped with a 12nm octa core Unisoc T606 chipset, paired with 4GB of RAM.
Nubia has equipped the V70 Design with a triple rear camera setup led by a 50-megapixel primary camera. However, the company has yet to provide information on the second and third cameras. On the front, there's a 16-megapixel camera that handles selfies and video calls.
You get 256GB of inbuilt storage on the Nubia V70 Design. Connectivity options include 4G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and a USB Type-C port. The handset is equipped with a 5,000mAh battery that can be charged at 22.5W. It also offers a Live Island 2.0 feature for notifications.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said on Saturday that global collaboration and cooperation in technology will continue, even if the incoming U.S. administration imposes stricter export controls on advanced computing products.
President-elect Donald Trump, in his first term in office, imposed a series of restrictions on the sale of U.S. technology to China citing national security concerns - a policy broadly continued under incumbent President Joe Biden.
"Open science in global collaboration, cooperation across math and science has been around for a very long time. It is the foundation of social advancement and scientific advancement," Huang told media during a visit to Hong Kong.
Global cooperation is "going to continue. I don't know what's going to happen in the new administration, but whatever happens, we'll balance simultaneously compliance with laws and policies, continue to advance our technology and support and serve customers all over the world."
Earlier on Saturday Huang told graduates and academics at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology that "the age of AI has started" in a speech after receiving an honorary doctorate degree in engineering.
The head of the world's leading maker of chips used for artificial intelligence applications received the award alongside actor Tony Leung, Nobel Prize for Chemistry winner Prof. Michael Levitt and Fields Medallist Prof. David Mumford.
"The age of AI has started. A new computing era that will impact every industry and every field of science," said Huang.
He said Nvidia has "reinvented computing and sparked a new industrial revolution," 25 years after inventing the graphics processing unit.
"AI is certainly the most important technology of our time, and potentially of all times."
Huang, 61, also told graduates that he wished he had started his career at this time.
"The whole world is reset. You're at the starting lines with everybody else. An industry is being reinvented. You now have the instruments, the instruments necessary to advance science in so many different fields," Huang said.
"The greatest challenges of our time, unimaginable challenges to overcome in the past, all of a sudden seem possible to tackle."
In the afternoon, Huang will participate in a fireside chat with the university's Council Chairman Harry Sham, teachers and students.
Amazon.com pumped another $4 billion into OpenAI competitor Anthropic, as the e-commerce giant goes up against Big Tech rivals in a race to capitalize on generative artificial intelligence technology.
This doubles Amazon's investment in the firm known for its GenAI chatbot Claude, but it remains a minority investor, the startup said on Friday. Similar to Amazon's previous $4 billion investment, it comes in the form of convertible notes and comes in phases, first at $1.3 billion.
Anthropic is also in talks with additional investors to raise more capital on the back of Amazon backing, sources added, who requested anonymity for discussing private matters. Anthropic declined to comment.
Amazon, which has gradually established itself as Anthropic's primary cloud partner, is fiercely competing with Microsoft and Alphabet's Google to offer AI-powered tools for its cloud customers. AWS is bringing significant revenue to Anthropic as a major distributor of its latest models.
"The investment in Anthropic is essential for Amazon to stay in a leadership position in AI," said D.A. Davidson analyst Gil Luria.
The e-commerce company's increased investment in Anthropic underscores the billions of dollars funneled into AI startups over the past year, as investors look to cash in on a boom in the technology, which became popular with the launch of OpenAI's ChatGPT in late 2022.
Microsoft-backed OpenAI raised $6.6 billion from investors last month, which could value the company at $157 billion and cement its position as one of the most valuable private companies in the world.
Anthropic plans to train and deploy its foundational models on Amazon's Trainium and Inferentia chips. The intensive process of training AI models requires powerful processors, making securing pricey AI chips a top priority for startups.
"It (partnership) also allows Amazon to promote its AI services such as leveraging its AI chips for training and inferencing, which Anthropic is using," Luria said.
Nvidia currently dominates the market for AI processors and counts Amazon among its long list of so-called hyperscaler customers.
Still, Amazon has been working to develop its own chips through its Annapurna Labs division, which Anthropic said it was "working closely with" to aid in developing processors. Amazon has also been trying to build its own AI model code-named “Olympus,” which it hasn't released.
Anthropic, co-founded by former OpenAI executives and siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, said last year it had secured a $500 million investment from Alphabet, which promised to invest another $1.5 billion over time.
The startup also uses Alphabet's Google Cloud services as part of its operations.
2024 is the year Google finally introduced its entire range of Pixel devices in India, including the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold. In short, this year, consumers have plenty of Pixel devices to choose from, depending on the budget. Starting at Rs. 79,999 for the base Pixel 9 and going all the way to Rs. 172,999 for the book-style Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
On paper, the Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL might only differ in terms of display size and battery, but the real difference lies in everyday use. One is compact to fit in the smallest pockets and convenient to use with one hand, while the other is huge at 6.8 inches. This year, Google added one phone to its Pixel lineup, which is the Pixel 9 Pro, which we will review here. Much like how Apple brought all the bells and whistles from its Pro Max model to Pro this year, Google also tries to fit all the firepower in the compact body of the Pixel 9 Pro. So, who should exactly buy this one or consider an alternate flagship? I try to answer this in my review.
Google Pixel 9 Pro Design: Compact form wins
Dimensions - 152.8mm x 72mm x 8.5mm
Weight - 199 grams
Durability - IP68 dust and water resistance
The Pixel 9 series finally ditches the bar-style rear back that housed the camera in a way that was loved and hated by some. The good news is that there's a new island placement on the rear for cameras, and it looks mature. It is easy on the eyes and makes the new Pixels shine in a crowded market with no distinct design except the iPhones.
The Pixel 9 Pro comes in four colour choices
I like the matte back panel and glossy frame finish on the Pixel 9 Pro. Thanks to the matte treatment, the back isn't a fingerprint magnet; however, it is a slippery phone. I accidentally dropped it twice during this review, but thankfully, the 9 Pro survived both drops without scratches. Unlike the iPhone 16 Plus (Review), the Google Pixel 9 Pro doesn't wobble on a flat surface mainly because the centre-aligned island at the back keeps it even.
The Pixel 9 Pro packs a 4700mAh battery
Over the years, the Pixels have developed their design language, and the new 9 series somehow maintains that in a good way. The polished finish metal frame feels solid in the hand, and Google has added additional protection by using Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on both front and back panels.
At under 200 grams, the Pixel 9 Pro is a handy phone with an even weight distribution. The 8.5mm thickness is also decent. There's IP68 dust and water resistance on board for peace of mind.
It weighs 199 grams
The Pixel 9 Pro beats the 9 Pro XL in convenience. The compact form factor is easy to use and something that's easier to live with every day. I would pick this over most big phones because of the one-hand usage as well, and it nails the basics quite comfortably—the ease of checking notifications, typing, dialling numbers, and doing everything with just one hand. Everything else in design is minimalistic, which will grow on you.
In terms of colours, Google has always offered different shades, and this year, the lineup is interesting. The Pixel 9 Pro is available in Rose Quartz, Hazel, Obsidian, and Porcelain - the one I got for the review. Overall, the Pixel 9 Pro feels like a solid device and a premium one, too.
The Pixel 9 is a compact device that's convenient to use with just one hand
Google Pixel 9 Pro Display: Flagship-grade
Display - 6.3-inch, 1280x2856 pixels, 1Hz - 120Hz
Display Type - Flat, LTPO, OLED
Display protection - Gorilla Glass Victus 2 (front and rear panels)
The smartphone has an excellent display offering crisp, accurate and natural colours. The Pixel 9 Pro, compared to the Pixel 8, packs a bigger display - 6.3 vs 6.2 inches. The bezels around the display also seem slim, and the claimed screen-to-body ratio stands at 87 percent. I liked the overall colour rendering, and you will love watching HDR videos on the display. With a peak brightness of 3000nits, the Pixel 9 Pro is bright outdoors, and sunlight legibility is never a problem.
The phone offers a peak brightness of 3000nits
Thanks to the compact size, the Pixel 9 Pro is one of my preferred devices for multimedia usage and offers a decent 495PPI pixel density. With Widevine L1 certification, Pixel 9 Pro streamed Full-HD resolution Netflix shows on demand. This year, Google has shifted to an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, which is quick and almost flawless for everyday use. The punch hole for selfies is almost non-distracting while watching videos or playing games.
The bezels around the display are narrower compared to the Pixel 8 Pro
Google Pixel 9 Pro Performance: Hits and misses
Google Tensor G4
Titan M2 security coprocessor
16GB RAM and 256GB storage
In terms of raw performance, the Pixel 9 Pro doesn't offer the absolute best, and you guessed it right, it won't beat phones in the same price bracket. Google Tensor G4 is good for browsing, multitasking, and running Google's suite of AI apps. However, when it comes to gaming or even graphic-intensive image or video editing, the Pixel 9 Pro disappoints. But I'm not surprised, as the Pixels have never been advertised as gaming or performance-driven devices. During my review, the Tensor G4 handled light image editing and could run AI features without stutters. The Pixel 9 Pro doesn't get hot during intensive tasks thanks to excellent heat optimisations. Like during our synthetic benchmark tests, the Pixel 9 Pro handled tests well and below are the results for your reference.
Benchmarks
Google Pixel 9 Pro
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
AnTuTu v10
12,25,583
10,38,343
10,67,971
PCMark Work 2.0
13,800
11,805
12,922
Geekbench V6 Single-Core
1,872
1,629
1,944
Geekbench V6 Multi-Core
4,227
3,274
4,667
GFXB T-rex
120
120
120
GFXB Manhattan 3.1
107
85
105
GFXB Car Chase
62
48
54
3DM Slingshot Extreme OpenGL
Maxed Out
Maxed Out
Failed to Run
3DM Slingshot
Maxed Out
Maxed Out
Failed to Run
3DM Wild Life
Maxed Out
8,186
8,902
3DM Wild Life Unlimited
2,615
8,574
9,294
The pure Android experience is another reason many prefer Pixels over other Android devices. The Pixel 9 Pro runs Android 14 out-of-the-box and comes with Gemini (which I will talk about in a bit). Lately, Google has been pushing its AI prowess under the name Gemini, and it seems like a bigger push than what we have seen in all these years. It is greater than how Google pushed Search, but I'm not surprised. AI is the next big thing for smartphones and empowers users to do much more in less time. As expected, the software experience is fluid, and the Pixel UI is clean of bloatware, Pixel's biggest advantage over rivals.
Google Tensor G4 powers the Pixel 9 Pro
While reviewing, I downloaded the Android 15 update, which was mostly similar to Android 14, with some added features, like Theft Detection Lock and Private Space. Among all new features, the App Archiving has to be my Android 15 pick, a feature announced last year by Google that is only making its way as a system-wide option with the latest update. The feature lets users save storage on an app that's used rarely.
Thanks to the form factor, the Pixel 9 Pro is my go-to device for quickly typing emails and has one of the decent haptic motors for typing feedback. The loudspeaker is a loud one and is excellent for a mid-size room. As mentioned above, the Pixel 9 Pro was my device pick for most of my multimedia needs, thanks to the display quality and speaker output. The 9 Pro can connect to mobile networks in areas like a basement where other phones struggle to be connected to a network. The call quality is decent on the device, and we had no problems with 5G on both Airtel and Jio networks.
It features a 42-megapixel selfie camera
Google Pixel 9 Pro AI
2024 has been the year of AI push for smartphone manufacturers, so why should Google hold back? The Pixel 9 series comes with a host of AI features. The first is the Gemini assistant, which uses multimodal models with which users can interact via voice, text, or pictures. The company added an all-new Add Me feature to the camera, which will never let you miss out on group photos with the help of AI. The Super Res Zoom, a feature that has been part of Pixels ever since Pixel 3, has been improved and offers high-quality zoom up to 20x. Pixel 9 series gets the all-new Pixel Studio, an image generator app powered by what Google calls an on-device diffusion model running on Tensor G4 and Imagen 3 text-to-image model. There are more additions, like the new Weather app that gets AI enhancements, Keep Notes that integrates Gemini, and Pixel Screenshots to organise screenshots on the device. We have discussed AI capabilities on the new Pixels in our Pixel 9 Pro XL review, so you can read it here.
Pixel Studio uses generative AI to bring imagination to life
Google Pixel 9 Pro Camera: "Pixel-able"
50-megapixel primary camera
48-megapixel ultra-wide and 48-megapixel telephoto
42-megapixel selfie camera
Pixel 9 packs the same camera setup as its bigger sibling, the Pixel 9 Pro XL. Jumping straight to camera results, the daylight shots on the 9 Pro come out crisp with natural colours (true-to-life colours) and plenty of details. The dynamic range is excellent in some of the samples I captured, and skin tones are bang-on. Portraits are amazing, and blur is handled wonderfully. The telephoto camera is great and doesn't disappoint in some of the challenging situations. I managed to capture some excellent 5x photos.
Pixel 9 Pro comes with a triple camera setup
The ultrawide camera on the 9 Pro also shines. It captured some really good shots during camera tests, which you can see below. Macro lovers can take advantage of 9 Pro's ultrawide camera, though Samsung has done better in macro shots this year. The Pixels are a league apart when it comes to camera comparisons, be it with Samsung or an iPhone.
Daylight samples from the primary camera (tap images to expand)
Close-up shot using ultrawide camera (tap image to expand)
Low-light photography is another highlight of the 9 Pro. I clicked some amazing low-light shots with plenty of details, controlled noise, and keeping colours in check. Pixel's automatic night mode worked well for me. Of course, you can take things into your control and tweak settings to get better results. The portraits come out good, though, there's scope of improvement.
Low-light camera samples (tap image to expand)
Portrait shot in low light (tap image to expand)
The selfie camera on the 9 Pro is amazing; finally, the front camera upgrade has paid off—amazing skin tones captured in different light conditions. On the video front, the Pixel 9 Pro has improved greatly compared to the Pixel 8 Pro. However, it is not as good for videos as the iPhone at the moment.
Shots taken using 1x, 0.5x, 2x and 5x (tap image to expand)
Low light shots taken in 1x, 0.5, 2x and 5x (tap image to expand)
Google Pixel 9 Pro Battery: Decent
4700mAh battery
Up to 55% charging in about 30 minutes
Wireless charging support
Do not underestimate the Pixel 9 Pro just because of its sheer size. In my tests, I found the Pixel 9 Pro to be a capable device in terms of battery performance. With heavy usage, the Pixel 9 Pro lasted a whole day with 15-20 percent left till the end of the day. While with medium usage, the phone can easily last up to 36 hours.
Pixel 9 Pro comes with fast-charging support
The Pixel 9 Pro doesn't ship with a charger like modern-day flagships. It supports 27W wired charging and up to 15W wireless charging. I tested the phone with a 45W charger, and it matched the brand's claimed fast charging figures. The phone, however, takes roughly 100 minutes to charge fully.
The Pixel 9 Pro is a device that can outshine many compact flagships out there
Google Pixel 9 Pro Verdict
The Pixel 9 Pro is an excellent choice for those who want Pixel-like camera prowess. Its compact form factor is the biggest highlight, and the good thing is that Google this year hasn't kept marquee features limited to 9 Pro XL. You get all the bells and whistles of the bigger sibling at a lesser price with the 9 Pro. The battery surprised me with its backup, and it shines in most scenarios. The extended software support should give prospective buyers confidence.
The Pixel 9 Pro comes with a single 16GB RAM and 256GB storage configuration
The only downgrade is the lack of heavy-duty performance credentials, which you can experience only when gaming or editing videos or photos on the device. Long thing short, where the chipset is required to handle graphic-intensive tasks is where 9 Pro feels it remains behind the competition. It's high time that Google opts for Snapdragon or MediaTek for its chipset requirements, as Tensor cannot outrun its closest rivals.
If you want the best camera experience, you can't go wrong with the Pixel 9 Pro, but when you add gaming and other graphics-intensive tasks, I have to ask you to look another way.
At Rs. 109,999, the Pixel 9 Pro feels slightly expensive for what it offers, but you can consider it as a premium for all the top-tier Google features arriving this year, along with AI.
When talking about alternatives, the Pixel 9 (Review) is definitely the closest sibling you can consider, minus some features. The Samsung Galaxy S24+ (Review) is also closer to the Pixel 9 Pro in terms of packaging, while you can also look at the iPhone 16 Pro, which is slightly more expensive.
